Norton Rose Fulbright trainees have produced an award-worthy film about a law student dreaming that he works at the firm.

Created to encourage applications, the five minute movie was written by trainees and stars employees from the Johannesburg office. For those unable or unwilling to watch the video, RoF has pulled out the key moments. It opens in a boring law lecture.

  Unlike his friend, Bob the goth had a keen interest in right to light legislation

After being mocked by his friends for leering at a female student, our hero plugs in his headphones and falls asleep.

    The perfect candidate

In his dream, he is amazed to discover that he is now a Norton Rose Fulbright solicitor, complete with flash suit and fat watch.

    "Brilliant. Usually I'm not wearing any trousers or pants at this point"

He finds that he has a spacious office all to himself and relaxes in a massive chair. And then, because dreams offer the chance to journey into the wildest realms of the subconscious, he flicks through photographs of Norton Rose Fulbright's offices.

    Best dream ever

But there is some dream logic. Instead of enduring months of cancelled plans and greasy takeaways at his desk, he simply swivels in his chair and appears in the middle of a completion meeting. Although when it's revealed that the lawyer is centre stage at a press conference with the firm's name up in lights, it becomes apparant that this may be the marketing department's dream, not his.

    Norton Rosetinted Fulbright

At a celebratory drinks party afterwards he meets his crush and whisks her off in a Mercedes. Which is where most dreams begin. Instead, before it gets x-rated, he wakes up.

    "It was all just a dream...wait, what's this?"

Spurred on by his branded pen and despite finding law so boring that he openly listens to music in lectures, he fishes out a Norton Rose Fulbright application form. After all, that was a nice Merc.

A member of the firms's South African graduate recruitment team told RollOnFriday, “Our trainee population is important to us and this film was a project driven and scripted by our trainees to speak to the local student market”, before falling into a deep sleep haunted by dreams of giant oranges chasing her with questions. For an alternative look at life inside a law firm, check out Slaughter and May's vintage video tour from 1981.
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Comments

Anonymous 22 August 14 09:27

Wow. That is really laughably dreadful.

I am sure the people responsible for this have the right intentions - but, really, doesn't a global firm need to vet these things before they are published?

Anonymous 22 August 14 10:42

So the video's message is if you do not listen to your lecturers you get jobs at Norton Rose? That's weird. Surely he is the candidate who should be rejected as he wears head phones during the law lectures.

Anonymous 22 August 14 10:43

I suppose the other message if you are male and earn a lot you get more and better sex in the video is not untrue, although even there his working hours may be a bit too long for much sex.

Roll On Friday 22 August 14 11:09

given that the global chairman and head of SA make an appearance in it presumably they did vet it.

Anonymous 22 August 14 13:43

This video was made by current candidate attorneys who know exactly what it is like to be a CA and how hard and stressful it really is. This video is about realising a dream, and some of us dream of working in a law firm such as Norton Rose Fulbright. This video is not fabricating the life of a CA, it is painting a picture of someone who dreams of being successful. Norton Rose Fulbright has an exceptional reputation and I would dream of working there too.

Anonymous 22 August 14 15:58

Ignore the cynics guys - the old farts of the legal industry ( and arrogant young pups who know no better) are a dying breed and will soon be gone. The video is well produced. It tells a story and creates some pull. I like it and frankly it shows at least one firm is trying to create a decent brand around them. Ignore the narrow minded biggets who live in the fantasy world of "it's all rosy in the garden". Keep being brave and you will stand out.

Anonymous 22 August 14 18:03

Yes making a video full of cliches it is surely how one keeps being brave and not a ... bigget

Anonymous 01 September 14 14:15

Unfortunately I must agree with the critics, being a graduate recruiter myself I don't believe that the video has a clear message and an accurate overview of the "life of a CA" too glitzy and exaggerated ... students want meaningful work. I like the building though and the m & a concept at the end :-)